The Film Society of Lincoln Center (FSLC) and Rockstar Games will present panel discussions from September 29 to October 1 tied to the recent release of Grand Theft Auto V (GTAV) during the 51st New York Film Festival as part of its NYFF Convergence program, as well as an exclusive concert with live performances of the original score from composers Tangerine Dream, Woody Jackson, The Alchemist & Oh No.
We’re almost in October, so that means we can look forward to indie horror films trying to squeeze themselves onto the release schedule. We get two this week, along with a pair of interesting documentaries and some other indie and foreign releases. As always, check your local art house theaters to see when these might be coming to your area.
As a huge music fan who nevertheless can’t play a note, I always enjoy watching documentaries about behind the scenes details about the music business and how the greatest records of all time were recorded. While there are hundreds of music documentaries, many are fairly pedestrian and focus on household names who have sold millions of records and whose stories are already well-known. The stars of MUSCLE SHOALS, a documentary about two prolific recording studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, certainly have had that “sold millions of records” part down since the 1960s, but their lives have been anything but open books.
Pawel Pawlikowski’s Polish Communist-era drama IDA, which has been playing to audiences at film festivals in Telluride and Toronto will be released in the US next year 2014 by Music Box Films. IDA tells the story of a young orphaned novice nun exposed to a past and a family she never knew existed.
ABOUT TIME
More films announced for the 2013 Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF). Director Richard Curtis’ ABOUT TIME will be the Southampton opener on Friday, October 11th and Saturday’s Centerpiece Film is AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY directed by John Wells. The Spotlight films include: BREATHE IN, FREE RIDE, HER, LABOR DAY, LOUDER THAN WORDS, MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, THE PAST and CAPITAL.This year the festival will pay special tribute to Oscar Award winning director Costa-Gavras before the screening of his latest film CAPITAL.
ALL IS LOST by writer/director J. C. Chandor is the Opening Night film of the 22nd Philadelphia Film Festival (PFF), premiering in the new state-of-the-art Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center on Thursday, October 17 . The film is described as “a gripping tale of solitude and survival in the face of disaster” and featuring a “tour-de-force solo performance from Robert Redford.” In ALL IS LOST Robert Redford plays a lone sailor who finds his yacht sinking after a collision with a discarded shipping container in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
MALAGASY MANKANY (LEGENDS OF MADAGASCAR)
The Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF) taking place October 2 to 6, 2013, in Hollywood, CA, has integrated a new sidebar, Film Diaspora, into its 2013 programming slate. Film Diaspora will showcase independent films and filmmakers from the African Diaspora. The lineup will include 11 films — three features, six shorts, and two documentaries from 8 countries — Nigeria, Haiti, Cameroon, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Madagascar, Burkina Faso and South Africa
A Star For Rose, directed by Daniel Yost and starring Debbie Allen
25 films have been chosen for Narrative and Documentary Feature Competition at the upcoming 17th Hollywood Film Festival, taking place from October 17 to 21, 2013, at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood. Films include LIFE INSIDE OUT, directed by Jill D’Agnenica, which tells the story of a mother who returns to her dream of pursuing music, the passion of her youth, and through this finds a way to connect with her troubled teenage son. All filmmakers and talent in the movie are Hollywood based. The film was shot in and around Hollywood and embodies the festival’s theme of pursuing dreams. Another film is A STAR FOR ROSE, directed by Daniel Yost and starring Debbie Allen which tells the story of three lost souls, homeless on Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk Of Fame, who meet in conflict, then slowly bond together to find meaning, humor and joy in their lives. Both of these projects will be presented here as World Premieres.
Director Liz Marshall’s “progressive, consciousness raising” documentary film THE GHOSTS IN OUR MACHINE will open in New York on November 8 at Village East Cinema, followed by Los Angeles on November 15 at Laemmle Music Hall. THE GHOSTS IN OUR MACHINE, which tackles the subject of animals used for food, clothing, entertainment and biomedical research, had its world premiere earlier this year at Hot Docs where it was voted a Top 10 Audience Favorite.
OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN
The 2013 Korean American Film Festival New York (KAFFNY), dedicated to the Korean War and North Korea, will celebrate its 7th year in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. KAFFNY runs October 24th to 26th, 2013, and opens with the New York premiere of the feature-length documentary SEEKING HAVEN by Hein S. Seok. Making its East Coast premiere on closing night is the feature film OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, the first U.S. – North Korean co-production by first-time screenwriter and producer Joon Bai, himself a Korean-American Korean War refugee, and directed by In Hak Jang. This film was entirely shot in North Korea, with a North Korean cast and crew.
THE GENIUS OF MARIAN, directed by Banker White
The Camden International Film Festival announced its first annual Engagement Summit, a unique program developed in partnership with Working Films that will connect documentary filmmakers with Maine-based nonprofit leaders to develop community-based social action campaigns tied to documentary film screenings. The inaugural Engagement Summit will focus on the theme of aging and tie to a year-long thematic program called Aging in Maine.
The poster for the 51st New York Film Festival, designed by Tacita Dean, was unveiled today. The festival runs September 27 to October 13, 2103. This Friday, September 27, the poster will be available for purchase at the New York Film Festival.